Improvement in wheel-cultivators



WILLIAM B. HUBBARD, OF FARMLAND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF PATENT ()rrroa HIS RIGHT TO JOHN W. ROBINSON, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN WHEEL-CULTIVAI'ORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 182,443, dated September I9, 1876; application filed August 5, 1876.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. HUBBARD, of Farmland, in the county of Randolph and State of Indiana, haveinvented a new and val uable Improvement in Plow-Beam Adjusters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construct-ion and operation of the same, reference being bad to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawings is a representation of a plan view of my plow-beam adjuster; and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the same.

This invention relates to the draft-tongues of sulky-plows' and wheeled cultivators; and it consists in certain improvements therein, as will be hereinafter particularly described.

In the annexed drawing, A A designate the wheels of a sulky plow or cultivator; and B designates the arched axle connecting the same. Said axle supports longitudinal beams or side bars 0 G, which are connected by crossbars D D, so as to form the bottom frame of the vehicle, from which the plowbeam is suspended. E E are braces, aiding to support said frame. On the front part of said frame a circular horizontal plate, F, is secured by means of bolts passing through ears ffinto beams G O. Said plate is provided with a raised-flange or rini, f, and is constructed like the lower plate of an ordinary fifth-w heel. G is a draft-tongue of ordinary construction, pivoted to cross-bar D by its rear end, so as to be capable of lateral motion, and having rigidly secured to it a plate, H, which turns on plate F, like the upper plate of a fifth-wheel. The front of plate H is curved to correspond with the inner face of flange 7'; but its rear is provided with segmental gear h, which meshes into a similar segment, i, that is pivoted on cross-bar D, and is rigidly secured to rearwardly-extendin g lover I. J is a notched segmental band, which receives a tooth, I, on the under side of lever I, and locks said lever in the position to which it is turned until said tooth is raised out of the notch into which it has been placed. Said lever is constructed of elastic material, so as to have sufficient downward springpressure to keep said tooth in the notch until it is forcibly raised. A separate spring or weight may, however, be employed instead.

Notched band J is secured above side bars 0 O by means of screw-threaded supports K K, which pass upward through the same, and are vertically adjustable with relation thereto. L is a metal strap or link, which connects the pivots of draft-tongue G and adjusting-lever I.

The operation of the device is as follows: On approaching a stump or other obstacle adjusting-lever I is turned to one side, throwing draft-tongue G to the other. The plow will then pass close by said obstacle, without deviating from its line, (supposing said ohstacle to lie a little on one side of the line marked out for the furrow,) While the draftanimals will be turned on one side of the same, so as not to be incommoded by said obstacle. It is equally applicable to cultivators; and will be found especially useful in turning at the end of a row, as it enables the draft-animals to turn gradually, and, at the same time, keeps the instrument operating in a perfectlystraight line until the end is reached.

This invention may be applied to vehicles of all sorts, wherever it is desirable to vary the angle of the draft-pole with the body of the wagon.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

For instance, segmental gear It may be secured directly to the rear end of the drafttongue without the rest of plate H. Plate F may be dispensed with.

A rack with raised teeth may be substituted for notched band J, and numerous other changes might be suggested; but I prefer the arrangement described and shown.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination of the pivotedtongue Gr, having the toothed segment-plate H, the circular bed-plate F, the lever I, provided with toothed plate 1', and rack-bar J, whereby the tongue is deflected and retained at any desired angle, substantially as described and shown.

In testimony that I claim the above I have WM. P. HUBBARD.

Witnesses JOHN STEWART, W. G. SHAW. 

